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Work is back to being a shitshow, and I wonder how long I can avoid some of that shit flying off the fan and hitting me in the head, for all that I have mine ducked. Otherwise, things are pretty good: some more live shows, some more D&D, some book club, and maybe even an ITM session or two. I've also squeezed in a fair amount of reading.
What I Finished Reading This Week
氷の魔物の物語 5 – 杉浦 志保 (Koori no Mamono no Monogatari vol. 5 – Sugiura Shiho)
This being the volume in which Blood, having depleted all his power to fulfill his contract to the Toei demons by breaking the enchantment around the Temple’s demon-destroying sword, has reverted to his original, bloodthirsty and instinct-driven manifestation. Knowing he’ll harm Ishuca in this state, he goes to seclude himself a cave to slowly recover his power over many decades. Ishuca, abetted by Nei, who wants him out of the picture, goes to offer himself to Blood. (That panel of Ishuca kneeling in front of a comatose Blood “It’s time to eat”...oh my god. Blood inflicts a massive wound on Ishuca and then recovers just enough to realize what he’s done, which plunges him into even deeper mental anguish. Nei, having second thoughts, saves Ishuca at the last second, and the volume ends as Blood entombs himself in the cave to keep from killing Ishuca.
From Nei to Zaha to Serugi, there’s so much great character development in this volume. Ishuca’s rationale for helping Blood, and his assumptions of what will become of him are hysterical. Battered, long-haired Blood is excellent. Eye-candy. And those scenes at the end? YES.
氷の魔物の物語 6 – 杉浦 志保 (Koori no Mamono no Monogatari vol. 6 – Sugiura Shiho)
Oh man, this is the volume in which the plot really starts to pick up. Ishuca goes to Serugi for help, thinking the Temple’s sword will have enough power, due to all the demons whose power it absorbed, to return Blood to himself. Entombed in the cave, Blood 2.0 wars with instict-driven-murder-hobo-Blood for control, sensing that bait (i.e., Ishuca) is right outside. Ishuca confronts Blood, ready to run him through, but Blood wrests the sword from him and does it himself, each causing the other additional guilt by acting to spare the other, in a wonderful O’Henry-esque conundrum. The rest of the volume starts to explore the fallout from these actions, and man is it good. Among other things, we take a trip to Ishuca’s childhood home, at which point a pretty big mystery starts to make itself known. And also: TODDLER ISHUCA. Blood is 😍 😍 😍 and so am I. It’s such an excellent blend of character development, high drama, fan service, humor, and just, Sugiura’s love for her characters is so apparent, and I love this series to death.
What I Am Currently Reading
Thousand Autumns vol. 1 – Meng Xi Shi
Finally, finally a natural, beautifully smooth translation. I’m inhaling this.
Cult of the Dead Cow – Joseph Menn
I plunk away at this one on mass transit. It continues to be more hagiography than history.
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms – Charlie Holmberg
This has gotten really good it’s just Thousand Autumns is just so damn readable.
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill – Rowena Miller
The plot in this one unspools very slowly—not a bad thing! Just not the right thing for what I feel like reading right now.
Lore Olympus vol. 1 – Rachel Smythe
I wasn’t gonna get this in analog format, but then a local bookstore had it for 10 percent off, and since several rlisters have been (re)reading it of late, the time seemed ripe. It is a pleasure to read this on TPB-sized glossy paper, instead of a small screen.
Dark Earth – Rebecca Stott
Early days, but I’m liking this so far.
What I Still Need To Review:
Queer City – Peter Ackroyd
Not tonight, Josephine.
Moira's Pen – Megan Whalen Turner
I read this weeks ago and just...forgot to review it? Alas, this entry has already taken me too long to write, so this review will have to wait.
What I’m Reading Next
This week I acquired Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom, Meng Xi Shi’s Thousand Autumns vol. 1, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Heaven Official’s Blessing vol. 2 and Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation vol. 4, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou’s The Husky and His White Cat vols. 1-2, and Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus vols. 1-3
これで以上です。
What I Finished Reading This Week
氷の魔物の物語 5 – 杉浦 志保 (Koori no Mamono no Monogatari vol. 5 – Sugiura Shiho)
This being the volume in which Blood, having depleted all his power to fulfill his contract to the Toei demons by breaking the enchantment around the Temple’s demon-destroying sword, has reverted to his original, bloodthirsty and instinct-driven manifestation. Knowing he’ll harm Ishuca in this state, he goes to seclude himself a cave to slowly recover his power over many decades. Ishuca, abetted by Nei, who wants him out of the picture, goes to offer himself to Blood. (That panel of Ishuca kneeling in front of a comatose Blood “It’s time to eat”...oh my god. Blood inflicts a massive wound on Ishuca and then recovers just enough to realize what he’s done, which plunges him into even deeper mental anguish. Nei, having second thoughts, saves Ishuca at the last second, and the volume ends as Blood entombs himself in the cave to keep from killing Ishuca.
From Nei to Zaha to Serugi, there’s so much great character development in this volume. Ishuca’s rationale for helping Blood, and his assumptions of what will become of him are hysterical. Battered, long-haired Blood is excellent. Eye-candy. And those scenes at the end? YES.
氷の魔物の物語 6 – 杉浦 志保 (Koori no Mamono no Monogatari vol. 6 – Sugiura Shiho)
Oh man, this is the volume in which the plot really starts to pick up. Ishuca goes to Serugi for help, thinking the Temple’s sword will have enough power, due to all the demons whose power it absorbed, to return Blood to himself. Entombed in the cave, Blood 2.0 wars with instict-driven-murder-hobo-Blood for control, sensing that bait (i.e., Ishuca) is right outside. Ishuca confronts Blood, ready to run him through, but Blood wrests the sword from him and does it himself, each causing the other additional guilt by acting to spare the other, in a wonderful O’Henry-esque conundrum. The rest of the volume starts to explore the fallout from these actions, and man is it good. Among other things, we take a trip to Ishuca’s childhood home, at which point a pretty big mystery starts to make itself known. And also: TODDLER ISHUCA. Blood is 😍 😍 😍 and so am I. It’s such an excellent blend of character development, high drama, fan service, humor, and just, Sugiura’s love for her characters is so apparent, and I love this series to death.
What I Am Currently Reading
Thousand Autumns vol. 1 – Meng Xi Shi
Finally, finally a natural, beautifully smooth translation. I’m inhaling this.
Cult of the Dead Cow – Joseph Menn
I plunk away at this one on mass transit. It continues to be more hagiography than history.
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms – Charlie Holmberg
This has gotten really good it’s just Thousand Autumns is just so damn readable.
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill – Rowena Miller
The plot in this one unspools very slowly—not a bad thing! Just not the right thing for what I feel like reading right now.
Lore Olympus vol. 1 – Rachel Smythe
I wasn’t gonna get this in analog format, but then a local bookstore had it for 10 percent off, and since several rlisters have been (re)reading it of late, the time seemed ripe. It is a pleasure to read this on TPB-sized glossy paper, instead of a small screen.
Dark Earth – Rebecca Stott
Early days, but I’m liking this so far.
What I Still Need To Review:
Queer City – Peter Ackroyd
Not tonight, Josephine.
Moira's Pen – Megan Whalen Turner
I read this weeks ago and just...forgot to review it? Alas, this entry has already taken me too long to write, so this review will have to wait.
What I’m Reading Next
This week I acquired Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom, Meng Xi Shi’s Thousand Autumns vol. 1, Mo Xiang Tong Xiu’s Heaven Official’s Blessing vol. 2 and Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation vol. 4, Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou’s The Husky and His White Cat vols. 1-2, and Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus vols. 1-3
これで以上です。
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